Sally was a physicist, the first American woman to fly in space, a science writer, and the President and CEO of Sally Ride Science. She had the rare ability to understand the essence of things and to inspire those around her to join her pursuits.

Sally’s historic flight into space captured the nation’s imagination and made her a household name. She became a symbol of the ability of women to break barriers and a hero to generations of adventurous young girls. After retiring from NASA, Sally used her high profile to champion a cause she believed in passionately–inspiring young people, especially girls, to stick with their interest in science, to become scientifically literate, and to consider pursuing careers in science and engineering.

Admirers took to Twitter to pay their respects to the trailblazer:

Mourning the passing of first American woman in space, Sally Ride, who passed on peacefully today…. http://t.co/WXQ47usn

Unfortunately, not everyone was able to pay their respects respectfully. Salon’s Glenn Greenwald just couldn’t resist politicizing her death, using the fact that she was homosexual to make a jab at Mitt Romney:

Romney said Sally Ride is "among the greatest pioneers"-can someone ask if he's glad her partner of 27 yrs is denied her fed benefits? #DOMA